Condenser



March 13. 1928.

C. E. LUCKE CONDENSER 4........ g... r Q

O o l To PUMP NTOR Filed Feb. 8, 192'? 9...... .U. n. gawwfi o w.. 1

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ATTORNEY 7 -40 being necessary onl Patented Mar. 13, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES R. LUCIE, 01' new YORK, H. Y., A88IGNOR TO WORTHINGTON PUKP AND CHERRY CORPORATION, 01' YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF coummsiia.

Application fled February a, um. Serial in. 106,780.

This invention relates to steam condensers of the surface type and an obJect of the invention is to provide a construction of high vacuum surface condenser adapted 'esp'ea cially for large sizes, in which each of the condenser tubes contributes the maximum area possible to active condensation of steam, and thus reduces to a minimum the total;

tube surface required for a given rate of lo steam per hour. a

In carrying out the invention one of the.

aims is to minimize the pressure drop between the tubes in the steam and air zones by a short and equal path and by causing the steam to sweep all of the tube surfaces substantially equally, so as to prevent any sluggish flow in any region, and to equalize the pressure drop across the steam-flow paths between the tubes throughout the condenser by making all these steam paths substantially equal in flow resistance. It is also aimed, to present to the incoming steam a large percentage of the total condenser tubes so as to secure the maximum of condensin 28 activity and to make this percentage 0 tubes presented to the incoming steam substantially constant and independent of the size of the condenser. In attaining these objects, the condenser "tubes are dis in the form of, a belt through which the exhaust steam passes from one side to the other, they flow resistance through this belt being uniform so that the steam will not pass through portions of the belt more freely than through other rtions. The tubesin the belt ma be uniform in number and spacing of tu from the entrance side to the exit side,'or the tubes may be spaced more from the inlet to t the same thro Other means, owever, may be emplqyed for securing theuniform resistance of ow across the belt that is im t for securing the result of uniform w and maximum condensation from each of thetubes; This desired result of uniform flow and maximum condensation from each of the tubes may be secured by a thinner belt of tubes closely spaced or a thicker belt of tubes more widely s aced, and the belt need not be continuous throughout the condenser, but ma be interru by a late or plates wit out de- 56 stroyingthe orm flow resistance through closetlilon the exit side, it t the flow resistance outlet side should be out the length of the belt,

the active portion of the tube belt. The belt will preferably be formed in folds or convolutions to provide large tube area within a certain condenser dimension with free admission of steam to a large percentage of the tube surface, and these folds or convolutions may be of any suitable shape and adapted to ashell of an desired form. The folds or convolutions Wlll be so arranged as to provide equal access of steam to all the tubes of the outer row on the steam side of the belt and so. as to provide equal freedom of escape of air from all the tubes on the outlet or air side of the belt. It is preferable that all steam flow areas should be proportioned to the number of tubes supplied by steam from any particular section of the steam flow passage, so that the steam velocity will be the same in entering the tube belt and likewise the air spaces between the tube folds will preferably be widest at the exit end of the air passage, which aids in securing a compact construction and reducing the total size of the condenser.

I In the present application the general features of the invention above described are used in condensers in which special provision is made for preventing contact of the condensate with air left by condensation of steam and for delivering the condensate to thehot-well at a temperature as near the temperature of the exhaust steam as possible- A further and particular object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide for passage of the. steam approaching and entering the tube belt by way of any steam lane'in a generally upward direction so that condensate guide plates extending across the tube belt-will drain the condensate towards the steam -zone and thence to the hot-well thereby maintaining the condensate at a high temperature and at the same time preventing contact of the condensate with the air at the outlet side'of the tube belt, which air preferably is drawn off through a suitable air outlet near the steam inlet and therefrom by the steam guiding b e.

With these objects in view, the invention consistsin various features of construction and combination of parts,'which will be first described in connection with the accompany: ing drawings, showing a condenser of t e preferred form embodying theinvention, and the. features forming the invention will be specifically pointed out in the claims.

rotected In the drawings- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view through one form of condenser sh0wing the air cooler housed within the condenser shell.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view through a modified form of the condenser and showing an exterior air cooler.

Referring more particularl to the drawings, the condenser includes t e shell I having the exhaust inlet 2, hot-well 3 and air outlet- 4. The air outlet 4 is positioned near the center of the steam inlet 2 and is protected from the incoming steam by the plate The plate 5 inclines downwardly in both directions from the center of the exhaust inlet 2 and directs the incoming steam towards the sides of the condenser and towards the hotwell 3. A belt 6 of tubes, which is arranged in folds providing steam spaces or lanes 7 on the inlet sides of the folds and air spaces or lanes 8 on the exit sides of the folds, extends from one inner edge of the plate 5 across the condenser to the other edge of the plate forming a belt of tubes betvveenthe hot-well 3 and the air outlet 4 The steam entering the-condenser is directed by the plate 5 around the inside of the condenser shell so that it passes inwardly through the tube belt (3 from the sides and from steam lanes that extend upward in a direction opposite to its direction of entrance into the condenser and the air is taken off from the innermost point of the space confined between the tube belt 6 and plate 5. A plurality of inclined condensate guide plates 9 extend across the folds of the tube belt (5 at pro-determined positions and divide the tube belt into horizontal inclined sections. while vertical splash plates 10 extcnd longitudinally through the steam lanes. It will be noted that the inclined condensate guide plates 9 in theinner folds or sections of the tube belt on each side of the vertical splash plates 10 incline downward towards the vertical splash plates while the inclined condensate guide plates 9 in the outermost. folds or sections of the tube belt incline downward towards the shell 1 of the condenser. The plates 9 and 10 which need not be continuous as shown, are arranged so as to direct the condensate into the steam entering the tube belt or into the steam having thehighest temperature and least air without drawing it into the air spaces 8 and preventing it, while falling, from contacting with many tubes. The advantage of this is, firstvthat the condensate passing into the steam entering the tube belt is heated or attains the maximum temperature and the necessity of special provisions for re-heating the condensate is eliminated, and second, that-it is a well-known and proven fact that the temperature of the steam at various points in the condenser lowers as the proportion of steam in the mixture of steam and air is reduced in the course of its condensation from the steam entrance to the air pump suction so that by directing the condensate away from the air pump suction or the air-outlet 4 and away from the zones which are colder than the others, decrease in the temperature of the condensate and also its absorption of air are both prevented.

In Figure 1 of the drawings a section 11 of tubes is provided in forming an air cooler for cooling the air before it is drawn out of the condenser while in Figure .2 of the draw ings an air cooler 20 of any approved construction which is exterior to the condenser shell is illustrated. The air is drawn into the cooler 20 and passes therethrough, exiting to the air ejector or vacuum pump of any approved form through the outlet 21.

The construction of the condenser illustrated in Figure 2 is similar to the construction shown in Figure l difi'ering therefrom, first in that the air cooler is outside of the condenser shell and second, in that the tube belt 26 is provided with fewer folds than the tube belt (5 and consequently a smaller munber of vertical plates is required and would normally be suitable for a smaller size.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific construction or arrangement of parts shown but that these may be modified widely within the invention defined by the claims.

\Vhat is claimed is:

1. In a surface condenser having tubes arranged in a belt to form vertically extending sections, a plurality of horizontally inclined condensate guide plates across aid tube belt for receiving the condensate from the section of tubes immediately above and discharging said condensate into the steam entering the tube belt.

:2. in a surface tOIHltllH'l' having lube: arranged in a belt and in folds to provide vertically extending sections having .-t|':ll|l lanes on the inlet sides of the folds. a plnrality of horizontally inclined condensate guide plates across said belt for receiving the condensate from the section of the tubes immediately above each plate and discharging such condensate into the steam entering the tube belt.

3. In a surface condenser having tubes arranged in a bclt;and in folds to provide vertically extendingz'sections having steam lanes on the inlet sides of the folds, a plu rality of horizontally inclined condensate guide plates across said belt for receiving the condensate from the section of the tubes immediately above each plate and discharging such condensate into the steam entering the tube belt, the horizontally inclined eondensate guide plates in the alternate sections of the belt inclining downwardly in one direction and the condensate guide plates in the adjacent sections inclining downwardly in opposite directions.

4. In a surface condenser having tubes arranged in a beltto form vertically extending sections, a plurality of horizontally'inclined condensate guide plates across said tube belt for receiving the condensate from the section of tubes immediately above and discharging said condensate into the steam entering the tube belt, and means for directing the incoming steam towards the sides and the bottom of the condenser whereby the steam will be directed inwardly and upwardly through the tube belt.

5. In a surface condenser, a tube bank consisting of a belt of tubes, means for directing steam through said tube belt in a direction reversely to the direction of entrance of steam into the condenser, and means for directing condensate from said belt of tubes through the steam entering the tube belt.

6. In a surface condenser, a plate inclining downwardly from the center of the steam inlet of the condenser, an air outlet at the inner side of the apex of said plate, and a belt of tubes extending across the condenser from one edge ofsaid plate to the other, whereby steam entering the condenser will be directed towards the sides and bottom of the condenser and will flow inwardly and upwardly through the tube belt towards the air outlet.

7. In a surface condenser, a plate inclining downwardly from the center of the steam inlet of the condenser, an air outlet at the inner side of the apex of said plate, a belt of tubes extending across the condenser from one edge of said plate to the other, whereby steam entering the condenser will be directed towards the sides and bottom of the condenser and will, flow inwardly and upwardly through the tube belt towards the air outlet, and a plurality of horizontally inclined condensate guiding plates across said tube belt for receiving the condensate from the section of tubes immediately thereabove and discharging saidcondensate into the steam entering the tube belt.

8. In a surface condenser, a plate inclining downwardly from the center of the steam inlet of the condenser, an air outlet at the inner side of the apex of said'plate, a belt of tubes extending across-the condenser from one edge of said plate to the other,

steam entering the tube belt, and a plurality of longitudinally extending vertical splash plates in the condenser between pre-determined series of said condensate guiding plates.

9. In a surface condenser having tubes arranged to form vertically extending sections with steam lanes on their inlet sides and air lanes on their exit sides, a plurality of horizontally inclined condensate guiding plates of horizontally 'ina across said tube belt and inclining down-' wardly towards'said steam lanes, said condensate guiding platesprovided for receiving the condensate from the section of tubes immediately above and discharging said condensate into the steam entering the tube belt from the steam lanes.

10. In a surface condenser having tubes arranged to form vertically extending sections with steam lanes on their inlet sides and air lanes on their exit sides, a plurality of horizontally inclined condensate guiding plates across said tube belt and inclining downwardly towards said steam lanes, said condensate guiding plates provided'for receiving the condensate from the section of tubes immediately above and discharging said condensate into the steam entering the tube belt from the steam lanes, and vertical splash plates extending longitudinally through the condenser in certain of said steam lanes.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES LUoKE', 

